Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1474185
CONNECTION AND COLLECTIVE "It's a process of constant refining," the group said of writing music. "But you just keep working it over until you find what the song needs. That's what we try to do. Respect the music but deliver it with our own style and hopefully create something that connects with other people." Connection has always been a motivation for Caleb Melvin, G Monét, Sutter Kain, JC3, Charlie Zero, Mark Wingfield, Martaze Blackmon, Nate (also known as "Biscuit"), Tiffany "Sipp" Dumelod and Chase Heinisch (also known as "KillAce"). They are the singers, rappers, producers and visual B eautiful and aggravating: words you might use to describe a family member or friend, someone you believe in with fierce admiration, someone who knows how to get under your skin. These are also the words Collective Sp8ce, Macon's own hip-hop collective, used to describe what the creative process is like for them. Creating art, like creating community, is full of joy and frustration – but it is rewarding because of the challenge it presents. artists who make up Collective Sp8ce. The range of influences between them — Smino, Rage Against the Machine, Outkast, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson, Kid Cudi, Radiohead, Drake — energizes their collaboration and inspires their innovation. Their goal, as their official bio states, "is to genre-blend…creating a whole new sound." But their connection goes deeper than the music they make. A few of the original members first met in 2019 at Bearstock, Mercer's annual music festival. The connective nature of music laid their foundation from the start. They kept hanging out after the festival, meeting up occasionally at Grant's Lounge. Eventually, a music collaboration developed from their friendship. Now, that friendship has evolved into a family who just happens to make music together. Collectives, in the nature of making music, are where creative control is shared. Unlike a traditional band, music collectives allow flexibility in the roster, so members are often part of other music acts in addition to being key contributors in the collective and the sound they produce. "Being in a group is like any other relationship," said member Caleb Melvin. "Experiences in life and with one another take a toll and impact your feelings about each other and overall view of life. If one of us is down, we might all feel that . . . Regardless, we're there for each other." The group collaborates regularly, getting together to practice several times a month at Melvin's house or in the rehearsal space found at the music incubator inside the historic Capricorn Studios (aka Mercer Music at Capricorn). 76 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2022